It has been a year since Wake Technical Community College dedicated the $42 million Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence in north Wake County. Since then, Wake Tech has tripled the number of students in its automotive systems technology program and added a new degree program in collision repair.
Three recently announced advanced manufacturing projects — one in the carbon fiber bicycle and two in the lithium-ion battery industries — will create a total of over $1.6 billion in investment and more than 700 jobs in Spartanburg, Chester, and Richland counties, South Carolina.
The South’s fast rise as a leader in the building of electric vehicles and the batteries to power them is helping drive Clemson University’s decision to form a new school that brings together its mechanical and automotive engineers, according to a news release from the school.